Wages growth in new enterprise agreements increases to 3.2 per cent

The most recent data on annual wage increases in newly approved enterprise agreements provides further evidence that wages growth is on the rise.

Average annual wage increases for agreements approved in the September quarter was 3.2 per cent – compared with 2.7 per cent in the June quarter and 2.2 per cent a year ago.

Minister for Jobs and Industrial Relations, the Hon Kelly O’Dwyer MP, said that this is the highest wages increase reported since September 2016.

“Today’s data continues to show that wages are heading in the right direction,” Minister O’Dwyer said.

“It is another reminder of just how important a strong economy is to generate more jobs. It follows the unemployment rate falling to five per cent in October, the equal lowest rate seen since June 2011.”

The report shows that enterprise bargaining continues to be beneficial to both workers and their employers, delivering wage increases above both inflation and economy-wide wage increases for Australian workers.

“With more than 1.1 million jobs created since coming to office in 2013, the Coalition Government is determined to continue to put in place the right conditions for strong economic and jobs growth.”

“While the Coalition Government’s plan for a strong economy is working, Bill Shorten and Labor would risk it all with their $200 billion worth of taxes on electricity, workers, housing, savings, investments and retirement hitting millions of Australians,” Minister O’Dwyer concluded.

The Trends in Federal Enterprise Bargaining report is a quarterly publication by the Department of Jobs and Small Business that provides information on enterprise agreements made in the federal workplace relations system.

The number of Agreements approved was 28 per cent higher than the same quarter last year, though lower than the June quarter this year.